(DAVENPORT, Iowa) A resident of California, convicted of mail and wire fraud, to get Iowa unemployment benefits has been sentenced in federal court in Davenport to nearly five years in prison.
Thirty-seven-year-old Nikolai Monastryski of Folsom, California is a Russian national, who became a naturalized citizen.
He pleaded guilty to seven counts of mail fraud and seven counts of wire fraud, all involving false applications with Iowa Workforce Development for unemployment benefits.
He admitted he falsely stated several businesses were operating in the state and employing workers. He then used the identifications of the false workers to apply for and obtain unemployment benefits.
Monastyrski lived in California during the fraudulent activity in 2014 and 2015.
He also defrauded unemployment insurance programs in Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Monastyrski was ordered to pay nearly $400,000 in restitution to the three state agencies, serve three years of supervised release following his period of imprisonment and pay $1,400 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.